Cold weather, at least for the middle of April

 38º here in Clarinda, IA at 12:00 Noon Sunday.  Has been cooler than normal for some time.  Rain predicted this afternoon.

Not much happened this week.

We went to choir practice Wednesday and sang with the Clarinda First United Methodist Church choir today.

Couple of photos I caught off the Facebook Streaming of this morning's service.  I was able to capture the audio part of our "Special" music, but don't see a way of attaching it here.

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Will be on the road next weekend---will see if can make posts  during our trip.

Later, Lynn

Snow, cool weather, warm weather

61º here in Clarinda, IA at 12:00 noon Sunday -- predicted high of 72º, but the clouds must go away for that to happen!  --  It did happen and was nice, sunny later in afternoon.  Is now 51º at 10:00 am Monday with predicted high of 63º today.  Maybe will actually finish this post now!

Rode the trike yesterday afternoon, just one mile but it felt like I hadn't been on the trike for a month.  Oh yeah, that was the case.  With the new large grain bins being built by the Coop on what was once the ground of Clarinda Elevator where I worked from 1972 to 1974, I realized they could easily be seen from the high ground at the hospital parking lot on east side.

This is taken from same spot, but with telephoto on camera.

A new fuel tank was installed over the winter near the helicopter pad.

Surgery room construction, which started nearly a year ago, is still uncompleted.

The talk last summer, when this building was being constructed west of the hospital, that this building would be used by the helicopter crew.  It appears to be in use now, but the helicopter crew are still using the house just to the east of our house.  Lights are on in this building and someone is using it.

 

Therapy building being built by hospital to the east of the hospital building, doesn't have much activity.  Picture at right is taken from in front of our garage, looking to the east.  Photo below is taken from Fareway Grocery Store parking lot (where I was taking recyclables), looking to the west.

Yesterday afternoon I put in taller post for solar powered night light and the squirrel chaser thingy.  Couldn't put the light on the wall, as it would be out of the sunshine during much of the summer.

Saturday we drove to southwest Lincoln, NE and spent time with my oldest brother Roger, and his wife Carolyn.  Got a look at their "new" place that they moved into last fall.  Though they have a basement, all they need is on one floor.  After living in northwest Lincoln some 32 years, it is a change, but seems to be ideal for them at this time.

After enjoying steaks at Outback Steakhouse, we drove to their daughter Angie's place and had brief visit with her.  Her son Michael wasn't feeling well and was somewhat "housebound".   He came out to the back yard for a minute to say high, but I wasn't able to visit with him.  He was keeping distance from anyone to avoid passing whatever cold or such that was bothering him.

After we returned to Roger's their boy Keith and wife Becky with daughter Jessica came for a visit.  Hadn't seen them for several years and was good to visit.  Daughter Tiffany had a commitment that afternoon, so missed her.

The house Roger & Carolyn live in was previously lived in by Becky's mother, and Keith & Becky did a lot of help getting them moved last fall.

Roger & Carolyn's oldest daughter, Julie, came by for a bit and we got caught up on her life.  She started a new job late last year and she is enjoying that.

We are officially moved to this home---Phyllis hung the wind chimes up this morning that we take with us back and forth to our home in Texas.

Sang with the Methodist Church Choir here in Clarinda yesterday morning.  This photo was taken from the Facebook stream that they run.  I was out of camera range.

I was able to convert our one Special song to audio and send it to the other choir members.  This blog does support video, but not audio files.

This cold, white stuff greeted us Friday morning.  Though we had some "cool" weather this winter in south Texas, we didn't have this stuff.  It was melted by 9:30 or so in the morning.

Last Friday was Jim Whipple's 94th birthday and we visited a bit with him and his wife Evelyn.  She has had several strokes and isn't able to talk.  He is hard of hearing and seeing and spends most of his time on his electric scooter--has foot/ankle problems.  Their son, Jim, and his wife were there and got to visit with them.  They live down by Northboro, but he provides much of the transportation for his folks, mostly to doctors, etc.

Was able to visit, briefly, with our old friend Roberta Rarick in the nursing home.  When we moved to Clarinda in 1970, her husband, Maury, was my boss at the Dry Sausage plant where I worked in the office.  And, Roberta was our choir director at that time.  Maury has been gone several years, and Roberta, now in her early 90's, is failing mentally.  

At the intersection of Highways 71 and 2 there has been a car wash for many years.  However, when we returned this spring found that a drive-thru Coffee Shop is in its place.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  There was a woman who was pregnant with twins, and shortly before they were due, she had an accident and went into a coma. Her husband was away on business, and unable to be reached. While in the coma, she gave birth to her twins, and the only person around to name her children was her brother.  When the mother came out of her coma to find she had given birth and that her brother had named the twins, she became very worried, because he wasn't a very bright guy. She was sure he had named them something absurd or stupid.  When she saw her brother she asked him about the twins.

He said, "The first one was a girl."
The mother: "What did you name her?!?"
Brother: "Denise!"
The Mom: "Oh, wow, that's not bad! What about the second one?"
Brother: "The second one was a boy."
The Mom: "Oh, and what did you name him?"
Brother: "Denephew."

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Employer: "We need someone responsible for this job."  Applicant: "Sir your search ends here! In my previous job whenever something went wrong, everybody said I was responsible."

 

More later, Lynn

April is here

 52º and dark at 8:45 pm in Clarinda, IA Saturday,; but had bright sunshine during much of the day after a low of 37º early this morning.

Thursday we drove the two hours south and west to Hiawatha, KS to visit our dear friends Harold and LaRhoda Neher.  The were in Kenwood RV Park in La Feria, TX for many years and in 2011, after Harold gave us a heads-up, we bought the mobile home beside their unit there in the park.  So, we were next-door neighbors from 2011 to spring of 2020.  Because of Covid-19 they did not come to the Valley in fall of 2020 so missed the 2020-2021 season.  

In the fall of 2021 they decided, due to their age and health issues, to sell their unit.  We cleaned out their unit, advertised it in the Valley Park papers and put the buyer in touch with them to make the sale.  We watched their unit being moved from the park--and now use what was their drive and area under carport for our parking.   We brought several boxes of stuff from their unit to them at their farm near Hiawatha, KS.

As has been the custom of our visiting them in the summer months over the years,   LaRhoda fixed a great lunch, as she usually does, with spare ribs, baked potatoes, green beans from their garden, a cranberry salad, and - later - home-made peach pie made with peaches from their own tree.   All delicious and with good visiting.

After lunch we played many games of pegs & jokers, Harold's favorite game; allowing the women to win a few games.

We do enjoy our time with Harold & LaRhoda and will try to get down to their place several more times this summer.

I started this yesterday---but, it is now 11:30 am on Sunday - was 37º again this morning and is now 57º, overcast with 20% chance of sprinkles this afternoon.

Yesterday, early, had just a skiff of snow on the deck.  Phyllis said she had been up earlier and could see a bit of white on the grass, but this on the deck was all that was visible.

Construction had been going on all last summer at the hospital where they are adding a surgery room.  Thought it would be finished by the time we got home this spring.............but it is still not complete.  Drove around it coming back from Hiawatha and they haven't finished the outside wall on the south side, let alone finishing the inside.  This photo was taken from our kitchen window.

They had the cement poured by the time we left last October on the Therapy building just east of the hospital.  Some work has been done, but appears they are at a stand-still now on that construction.  This photo was taken from in front of our garage.

Had several trash items blown into our yard over the winter.  This 15 foot, or so, piece of Tyvec was up against our hedge at the back.

Quite a lot of small limbs and large twigs in the front yard, both on the east side, shown here, and on the west side.  Got the most of it picked up Friday and Saturday; will cut them up into small pieces and put on the steep slope behind our ledge.

Saturday I fixed an omelet for breakfast with some sausage patties, onion, green pepper, eggs & cheese.

Some Iowa clouds.  Guess these could be some Missouri clouds as I am looking south and the border is only 9 miles from us!  This was taken through the picture window in our living room.

Just so you know!

Patty had taken a posed picture of our Men of A-Chord Barbershop Chorus early in February, but not all of the chorus was present at that time.  The last performance of the year we had all 15 members present at a performance in San Juan, TX.  The lady I had running the video camera didn't get a still photo of the group with our director not in front of the group.  So, I ran a program where I could get still's off the video, but still couldn't get full view of all, including the director.  Then I used three of those photos to make the shot above, by using Photoshop.  This will be our 2021-2022 photo.  I brought my barbershop music home and intend to work on memorizing the music and words over the summer.  I coordinated the work of contacting each park before we sang this spring and worked with three of the parks to change dates when our director and several members came down with Covid-19 in February and we had to re-arrange our schedule.  We did end up with 8 performances--one park cancelled as they were having such poor turnout to any of their entertainment; but they have scheduled a performance in 2023.  I coordinated the members of the chorus who booked programs for next year and, so far, have 7 lined up.  With our dwindling numbers, and our director being 86 this next year as well as several members in their 80's it might be doubtful that we can continue.  Hoping for the best.

He really loved her but he was just too shy to propose to her. Now he was up in his years and neither of them had ever been married. Of course, they dated about once a week for the past six years but he was so timid he just never got around to suggesting marriage, much less living together.  But one day, he became determined to ask her the question. So he calls her on the phone, "Judith?"
"Yes, this is Judith."
"Will you marry me?"
"Of course. Who's speaking?"

Later, Lynn

At our Summer Home

 41º and overcast in Clarinda, IA at 10:00 am Wednesday.  Just realized I haven't posted in over a week.

We spent part of each day from Monday afternoon until Friday evening with my brother Don & his wife Vicki.  Played some card games and a couple different dominoes games -- which we were advised would help stimulate Don with his dementia problems.  He did well, sometimes needing help in deciding which card or domino to play, but was generally thoughtful, quiet and going along with the game.  

We ate two meals with them in the dining room and took them out to Chick Fil-A one day and then Vicki did some shopping.  We hope to see them again on Monday April 25th in afternoon & evening.  We will have our travel trailer and be on our way to Lincolnton, GA to  The Little Roy and Lizzy Music Festival.

Saturday we drove to Marengo, IA, parked the travel trailer, which we had drained all the tanks and all the water system since it was to get down to 19 degrees both Saturday night and Sunday night at Sudbury RV Court in Marengo with electricity plugged in and heater running inside the unit.  (If you are familiar at all with Recreational Vehicles you know that unless you have a 4-seasons unit (which has insulated layers underneath everything and heat with either heat-tapes or heating units, you must "winterize" the vehicle by eliminating all water.)  We spent Saturday evening through early Monday morning at son Cam's and had a great visit with his wife Patty, daughters Ashley & Emily and Ashley's family-husband Heath, little 5-going-on-6-year old Jessica and littler, just-last-week 1-year old David.

Did go out to eat Saturday evening, but spent most of our time in their family room.  Jessica is wound like an 8-day clock and cannot sit still for 10 seconds while little David moves around slower.  Lot of reading to Jessica, having Jessica read, playing cards, and just plain spending time together.

Lots of rough & tumble with the little ones..

On our way home Monday we found The Brickyard Burgers & Brews in Adel, IA - some 6 miles off the interstate and had excellent lunch.  Had found them through an internet search.  Waitress said the brick factory is still active there, as well as in Redfield, IA nearby, due to the Clay in the area.

Access to the Raccoon River Valley Trail is just across the street from the restaurant and near the brick factory.

Some more pictures with the family.

After some stops in Des Moines to stock some groceries for home, we reached our home in Clarinda around 3:30 pm and spent the rest of the day transferring all the "stuff" from the pickup and travel trailer to the house.  Got the pickup emptied and the one recumbent trike we brought with us re-assembled later Tuesday.

Taking a bit to adjust to this place and remembering where things are.

Will go to Choir practice this evening.

Here is a photo I just ran across in my computer.

Later, Lynn